Blog for Photo Nerds » Waterproof Cameras

Ricoh G700 Waterproof Digital Compact Camera

Jane — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:38:57 +0000

Ricoh G700 is a 12-megapixel camera with waterproof, shockproof and dustproof features. It spots 5x optical zoom, 3-inch 920,000-dot LCD screen with automatic brightness adjustment and numerous pre-set creative options.

The lens features 28mm wide angle of view yet it not very bright - it offers only f/3.5 aperture value when zoomed out. There’s only Digital image stabilization in the camera, which means raising ISO level in unfavorable lighting conditions. On the positive side, you can attach an optional wide conversion lens to a build-in one and enjoy 22mm angle of view.

The camera’s body can withstand falls from 2.0 m even with the power on. The camera can be used in the rain as well as for underwater shooting - down to 5 meters for up to 2 hours. The camera can also ensure dust and sand and operate in sub-freezing temperatures. In addition, the buttons are optimized for shooting with gloves on.

The G700 offers point-and-shoot operation ideal for those who prefer to rely on the camera’s “brains” and deal with the composition of the shots only and still get quality images. There’re also some pre-set creative functions like High Sensitivity, Firefighting, Skew Correct, Text, Zoom Macro where Skew correction mode gives your photos the feel that they were shot directly. It is useful when photographing message boards and display panels, as they are not distorted and readable in the final image.

The camera offers 103Mb of internal memory and a lot of enhanced security and file management functions for your images. It is possible to connect the camera directly to a printer without using a PC.

Ricoh G700 - Specifications:

1/2.3″ CCD Image Sensor
12.10 Megapixels
Aspect Ratio: 4:3, 3:2
3.0 in. LCD Monitor with 920,000 dots
5x Optical Zoom
Digital Image Stabilization
Focal Length Equivalent: 28 - 140mm
Aperture Range: f/3.5 (wide) - f/5.5 (tele)
Focusing: AF (multi / spot), MF
Macro: 0.4″ / 1 cm
Metering: 256-segment multi, center-weighted, spot
Sensitivity: ISO 64 - 3200
Shutter Speed: 8 - 1/1500 sec
Exposure Modes: Program
Creative Scene Modes: High Sensitivity, Firefighting, Skew Correct, Text, Zoom Macro, Movie
103MB Built-In Memory
SD, SDHC, MMC Memory Cards
Power Source: 2 x AAA Batteries
Shockproof: up to 2.0 m drop
Waterproof: down to 5.0 m

Panasonic DMC-TS10 Waterproof Digital Camera

Jane — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:37:54 +0000

Panasonic DMC-TS10 ( aka FT10 In Europe) is a new waterproof digital camera featuring 14.1-megapixel sensor, 4 x optical zoom, 2.7-inch LCD display with Anti Reflective coating and HD movie capture - all housed in slim compact body.

The camera can endure tough conditions and still works 3m underwater and in temperatures down to -10 degrees Centigrade. It is also 1.5m shockproof and dustproof, which makes it the perfect companion for those who prefer active lifestyle and want to capture events as they are without any fear to break the camera. It can be a great camera for kids as well.

The DMC-TS10 offers totally point-and-shoot operation, so you don’t have to think about technical aspect of picture taking. The camera’s iA (Intelligent Auto) mode opens an easy way to get great pictures automatically. It combines MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) to prevent from blur caused by camera shake, Intelligent ISO Control to avoid motion blur, Face Detection to apply focus and exposure to faced in a frame and Intelligent Scene Selector that will set the most appropriate scene mode for your shooting situation.

At the heart of the camera lies the high-speed Venus Engine IV image processor that ensures quick response time with its Sonic Speed Auto Focus as well as accurate signal processing for high-quality image output.

The camera comes with PHOTOfunSTUDIO ver. 5.0 software that simplifies the process of editing your images and their upload to Internet sharing sited like YouTube.

Panasonic DMC-TS10 - Specifications:

14.1-megapixel Resolution
Venus Engine IV Image Processor
4x Optical Zoom
Focal Length Equivalent: 35-140mm
MEGA O.I.S. Optical Image Stabilizer
2.7-inch LCD Monitor
Intelligent Auto Mode
Intelligent ISO Control
Face Detection
Intelligent Scene Selector
Sonic Speed Auto Focus
Movie Mode: 720p HD, Motion JPEG
Waterproof to 3m
Shockproof to 1.5m
Freezeproof to -10 Degrees C
Dustproof
Battery Life: 300 Shots per Charge (CIPA)
Included Software: PHOTOfunSTUDIO ver. 5.0

Praktica DPix 5000WP WaterProof Digical Camera

Jane — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 07:37:59 +0000

Praktica launches the DPix 5000WP new camera model with underwater shooting capabilities. Though the details are unknown, the IPX8 standard proves that it can withstand long-time work in the water in conditions specified by the manufacturer.

In other respects the camera is quite modest. It is a point-and-shoot device suitable for those who don’t want to bother about the setting. Its waterproof features make it the perfect camera for holidays on the beach and outings in the pool and can be given to kids without worrying that they could spoil it.

The 5000WP uses a tiny sensor with 5-megapixel resolution. However, the images can be shot as well at 8- and 16-megapixel resolution thanks to interpolation. It is strange, but the manufacturer states that the only sensitivity setting is ISO100.

The camera uses a fix-focal lens with 4x digital zoom function and focusing range of 0.7m to infinity, and a comparatively small 2.5-inch LCD screen.

The camera does all the shooting work all by itself. There’re also 5 scene modes to choose from and 2 color effects: black and white and sepia.

The movies are shot in 720p HD resolution at a rate of 30 fps, which is a great option for such simple digicam. It is powered by 3 AAA batteries, so you can always buy a new set of batteries when they run flat.

Praktica DPix 5000WP - Specifications:

1/3.2″ CMOS Image Sensor
Image Resolution: 5M, 3M, 1M; 16M (interpolated), 8M (interpolated)
File format: MJPEG (AVI), JPEG (EXIF 2.2)
4x Digital Zoom
Focal Length: 5.14mm
6.4 cm (2.5″) TFT Color Monitor
Fixfocus Focusing System
Focus Range: 0.7m - inf
ISO Speed: 100
Shutter Speed: 1/500 - 1/4s
Exposure control: +/- 2.0
Metering: Multi
Automatic Shooting
Scene Modes: Sport, Night, Portrait, Landscape, Backlight
Color Effects: Color, B/W, Sepia
White Balance: Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent
Flash Range: 1.5m
16 MB Internal Memory
SD/SDHC Memory Cards
Movie Mode: HD 720p (30fps), VGA (30fps), D1 (30fps)
TV System: NTSC, Pal
Interface: USB, A/V Out
Energy Source: 2x AAA Batteries
Dimensions: 94×64x24mm

Olympus X560 WP Waterproof Point-and-Shoot Digital Camera

Jane — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:04:55 +0000

Olympus X-560WP is a 10-megapixel digital compact camera with 3x optical zoom and 2.4-inch LCD screen. Though these features may seem unimpressive, the camera’s main advantage it is underwater capability.

The camera can operate down to 10 feet underwater, which allows you taking great pictures of underwater flora and fauna. You can take it to the pool, to the beach and you needn’t worry that it will get spoilt by splashes of water.

The X-560 WP is a simple point-and-shoot digicam for enjoyable snapping without thinking about camera settings. Its Intelligent Auto mode with automatically determine the scene being shot - portrait, landscape, night portrait, macro, or sport - and optimize the setting for you to get best shot possible. You can also make your own choice from 18 pre-set scenes stored in the camera’s memory.

The camera comes with a Face detection function that can detect up to 16 faces in a frame and make them look sharp, clear and bright in your pictures. Furthermore, the AF tracking function allow keeping moving subjects in focus to avoid their blurring.

The T100 also uses Digital Image Stabilizer to correct for camera shale and deliver sharp photos and the Perfect Fix function to improve your photos after they’ve been taken, for instance lighten up shadows or remove red-eye.

Olympus X560 WP - Key Features:

10 Megapixels
CCD Image Sensor
3x optical zoom
2.4-inch LCD Screen
Digital Image Stabilization
High ISO Capability
Intelligent Auto Mode
18 Scene Modes
Perfect Fix Function
Advanced Face Detection
AF Tracking
In-camera Help Guide
xD, micro SD Picture Card
Waterproof Down to 10 feet
Estimated Retail Price: $ 159.99

Sanyo CA100 Full HD Waterproof Dual Camera

Jane — Fri, 28 May 2010 15:21:16 +0000

Sanyo has announced its new digital product, the Xacti CA100 waterproof dual camera. It claims to be the world’s first water-resistant digicam with Full HD movie capture – you can keep it down to 3 meters underwater for up to 60 minutes and it won’t do it any harm.

The camera incorporated SMOS image sensor and an improved processing engine, which allows for high-speed sequential shooting as well as for fast video processing.

The device shoots videos in 1920×1080 resolution, which is enough to capture all the details of the scene, and saves them into “MPEG-4 AVC / H.264” video format, which allows for convenient handling as they are perceived by your computer as well as the Internet as a single file.

The CA100 has photo capabilities as well: it can take 14-megapixel photos. Moreover, it can take photos in a rapid succession at a speed of up to 7 fps (in 2-Mp mode, though). There’re 2 separate buttons for video and photo capture for easy switching between these two modes.

The camera offers 5x optical zoom for still image capture and a double range zoom for shooting videos. The essence of the latter is the following: there’s a Wide Mode (40 mm to 240 mm) and a Tele Mode (80 mm to 480 mm), for wide scene and for long distance shooting respectively. The combination of these two zoom ranges equals to 12x optical zoom.

Sanyo CA100 Full HD - Specifications:

Full HD Video: 1920 x 1080 pixels
MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 Video Format
14-Megapixel Still Images
5x Optical Zoom (photos)
12x Double Range Zoom (videos)
Focal Length Equivalent: 40-480mm
Digital Image Stabilizer
Face Chaser Function
Target a Color Function
High-Speed Sequential Shooting: 7 fps 2M mode
Mini HDMI Terminal
Eye-Fi card compatibility
SDXC Memory Cards Compatibility
Rechargeable via USB port
Waterproof down to 3 Meters
Availability: End of June